"Kang Jihoon! Get your lazy ass out of bed! Aren't you starting work today?"
The said omega groaned sleepily, burrowing further into the sheets, tightening his grip around his blanket.
"Don't wanna," he grumbled, trying to ignore his friend's voice.
Just as he tried to succumb back to sleep, his blanket was yanked from his body and he yelped as the cold, morning air hit him.
"What the heck, Seungho!"
"Do you even know what time it is, Jihoon?" his friend asked and the omega raised his head to the clock, a gasp leaving his lips.
It was half past seven.
He was late!
Jihoon leapt up from the bed and ran to the bathroom, ignoring Seungho's mocking laughter behind him.
Of course, the other omega would take pleasure in his misery.
Twenty minutes later, he was wearing his shoes, his bag pack slung over his shoulder, his phone clutched in his right hand.
"Are you supposed to look like that?" Seungho asked, sitting himself on the couch.
Jihoon didn't have to look up to know the other was judging him. He focused on tying his shoe laces.
"What is wrong with it?"
"Yah!" his friend sounded exasperated. "You look like a country bumpkin and I'm not being dramatic!"
He rolled his eyes, before standing straight. "There is nothing wrong with my outfit, Seungho."
Seungho scoffed, crossing his legs. "So wearing a blue shirt and jeans is okay on your first day?" he asked.
"And what is with that hideous looking hoodie?" He continued and Jihoon gasped in offence.
"It's my lucky hoodie and the weather is a bit chilly!" he argued.
"Lucky hoodie, my foot," Seungho snorted. "You are just making up excuses to wear it."
Jihoon pulled his sleeves down. "I'm not going to talk about my fashion choices with you, Seungho."
He put on his black beanie, covering his messy silver hair.
"See you when I come back!" He threw open the door of the apartment.
"Have a great first day at work!" Seungho called after him.
The omega stepped out of the apartment, shivering at the slight chill and quickly flagged a taxi.
"Seoul National University."
The driver hummed and drove off.
The streets were less crowdy today with barely no traffic, the chill keeping most people locked in their homes. Except those who really needed to work like him.
Within minutes he was at the University and his eyes widened at the transport fare.
"Seven hundred?" Jihoon blinked in confusion.
The driver glared at him. "Pay up."
"But it's just a short distance! That's too much!" The omega argued defiantly.
"Short distance?" The man repeated, voice rising in anger and Jihoon was grateful his scent patch made him unable to smell the driver.
"Then why didn't you walk? Don't be so stingy and pay up!" The driver demanded and the omega snorted.
"If I'm stingy, then you are heartless!" he threw the notes on the carseat and bolted from the vehicle, ignoring the man's shouts of protests.
He ran through the gates and was gasping for breath by the time he reached the reception.
"Good morning."
The receptionist, a pissed looking woman, wrinkled her nose at the sight of him and the omega wondered if his scent blockers came off in his haste.
He touched his neck, sighing in relief when the patch was still there. In an institution like this, letting one's scent slip was asking for trouble.
"Your name?" she asked and the omega internally cringed at her nasal voice.
"Kang Jihoon."
She typed on her computer. "The new lecturer?"
He nodded, adjusting his backpack. "Yeah. For English literature. I'm supposed to start today."
"You look young."
"You're not that much older than me," Jihoon blurted out and bit his lip, wincing internally at the audacity.
Pissing off someone on the first day!
The receptionist looked surprised before she schooled her features.
"You are late. On your first day." she pointed out.
"I—"
"Save it," she interrupted, handing him a paper. "Use this to navigate your way around."
It was a schedule and the University map.
"Thank you." Jihoon accepted it and bowed.
"It's not like I was that late anyway," he grumbled, walking away.
The hallways of the institution was empty, most of the students already in class. He read through the schedule, feet stopping in front of his class.
He could hear the chatters of students behind the door which made him very nervous.
"Breathe, Jihoon. You can do this," he mumbled to himself, before pushing the doors open.
The noise died down.
"Is he a new student?"
"A new transfer student perhaps."
"Good morning, class." Jihoon cleared his throat. "I am Kang Jihoon, your new literature lecturer."
The silence seemed to stretch for a while as the students stared at him, surprise evident on their faces.
"Any questions?" He asked, dropping his bag on the front desk.
A girl raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-seven."
"But aren't you too young to be a lecturer?" She blurted out and the rest of the class burst into laughter.
Jihoon chuckled. "Maybe I am. Though I have the qualifications so..I guess that's all that matters."
The girl blushed before looking down and he smiled.
"So... I hope we can cooperate and make our classes active and lively."
"Yes, Sir."
"Great," Jihoon clapped his hands and pulled out a book from his bag, waving it at the class.
"Wuthering Heights," he stated. "One of the most interesting pieces of literature to exist. We'll be discussing the themes and characters of the novel."
"Yes, Sir."
"So... One of the themes we'll be exploring today is the passionate and destructive love between Catherine and Heathcliff, which defied..."
The class was engaging and the students participated actively. Their enthusiasm reminded Jihoon why he chose this career path.
"Is it right that societal norms should be a factor in relationships just like in the novel?" A student asked and Jihoon hummed.
"It depends on the setting—"
The class doors opened and the omega turned his head to look as a student entered, clad in a large, black hoodie with a backpack slung over one shoulder.
The students started whispering among themselves.
"So arrogant."
"Why does he even bother coming to class anyways?"
"He is just so... off."
Jihoon watched as the student passed by him and headed to the backseat without even an acknowledgement or an apology despite being an hour late.
The blatant disrespect!
The omega bit back a sigh and smiled at the class. "As I was saying..." he flipped through his notes.
Jihoon carried on with the lecture, though he couldn't help his eyes from straying to the latecomer.
The male had his head down on the table, not even paying attention to the lecture but the mysterious air surrounding him only made the omega curious.
"See you tomorrow," he said as the two hour lecture came to an end, smiling as the students waved enthusiastically at him as he made his way out.
"First day is nearly done, I guess?" Jihoon whispered to himself as he walked towards the canteen.
Ordering a cold cappuccino, he sipped it eagerly as he walked through the quiet hallways, heading for his next class.
The omega rounded a corner and bumped into a hard body, sending him to the floor, his drink pouring over him and staining his clothes.
"Ah!" he gasped, raising his head to meet a familiar silhouette.
It was the latecomer!
The male's hoodie had come off his head and Jihoon could clearly see his black shaggy hair and dark eyes.
He was handsome, attractive and—
"Watch yourself."
The omega blinked in surprise, cheeks reddening. "Huh?"
The male rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving Jihoon on the floor.
"What a jerk," he mumbled angrily, getting himself off the floor.